[eqvinox]

> Dropping "C" overnight and thus making all existing Linux software incompatible is completely out of the question.

For general purpose Linux, I agree. But if someone makes Android devices and maintains that for RISC-V… that's basically a closed, malleable ecosystem where you can just say "f it, set this compiler option everywhere".

But also, yes, another commenter pointed out C brings some power savings, which you'd presumably want on your Android device…

[brucehoult]

Qualcomm can do whatever they want with CPUs for Android. I don't care. They only have to convince Google.

But what they wanted to do was strip the "C" extension out of the RVA23 profile, which is (will be) used for Linux too, as a compatible successor to RVA22 and RVA20, both of which include the "C" extension.

If Qualcomm wants to sponsor a different, new, profile series ... RVQ23, say ... for Android then I don't have a problem with that. Or they can just go ahead and do it themselves, without RISC-V International involvement.

[brucehoult]

Qualcomm can do whatever they want with CPUs for Android. I don't care. They only have to convince Google.

But what they wanted to do was strip the "C" extension out of the RVA23 profile, which is (will be) used for Linux too, as a compatible successor to RVA22 and RVA20, both of which include the "C" extension.

If Qualcomm wants to sponsor a different, new, profile series ... RVQ23, say ... for Android then I don't have a problem with that. Or they can just go ahead and do it themselves, without RISC-V International involvement.